Weird to Exist

Weird to Exist

Simple Comics about Complex Emotions

Summary

A vibrantly coloured yet darkly humorous comic collection about the absurdity and beauty of being alive.

We've all felt the pain that comes from realising a beautiful moment will soon become a distant memory. We're all guilty of avoiding deadlines by researching obscure facts about dirt or bingeing scary conspiracy videos. Inspired by these universal experiences and existential musings, Alison Zai walks the line between laughing so hard that you burst into tears and crying so hard that you break into laughter.

Weird Exist is divided into three intrinsic human acts - to exist, to love, to create - and ultimately touches on how weird it is to do all of that. Also included is Zai's popular long-form comic, Bee Real, which follows one little irritable bee's enlightening mission to extinguish the sun. With sharp levity and emotional complexity, this colourful collection finds the fun in life's hard truths.

Reviews

  • Weird and wonderful ... Idiosyncratic characters and scripts come to life with eccentric pearls of wisdom and Lewis Caroll-like nonsense, often depicted in a palette of bright cartoon colours ... Many have flocked to Alison's impressive series of works as endless sources of comfort, laughter, or inspiration - whether that be in her distinct visual style or uncanny storytelling capabilities. What makes Alison so distinct is how the whimsical and otherworldly dimensions of her drawings often transmute into something more relatable by way of a quirky aphorism ... Short yet impactful comics
    It's Nice That

About the author

Alison Zai

Alison Zai is a Los Angeles-based illustrator. She creates drawings about the irrational chaos, beauty, and overall strangeness of life. These experiences and emotions that make us human are featured throughout her work, usually in the form of brightly coloured talking animals.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more